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April 18, 2012

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Los Angeles (spcaLA) has been using an iPad App called Paint for Cats. Paint for Cats captures the cat's contact to the iPad, creating a unique piece of art.

Brilliant...I just bought a bunch of boxes of these. They're very affordably priced and will make lovely gifts for...well, some occasion.

Now if only my own Backyard Kitty would show any interest at all in the cat games for iPad I downloaded. Maybe I should try Paint for Cats instead...maybe he doesn't want to do anything as frivolous as play games...he's an artist man!

December 10, 2010

You learn something every day. Well, particularly if you go visit interesting places. And who knew The World of Coke in Atlanta, GA would be such an interesting place? [Disclosure: Coca-Cola is a BlogHer customer, but I'm just writing this post because I found a picture while uploading three months worth of shots from my point & shoot.]

Here's what I learned about the Coca-Cola bottle while at World of Coke:

October 06, 2010

I love it when I hear about yet another eco-friendly manufacturer who makes stuff that qualifies both as functional and fashionable...and at a good price.

I'm a big believer that certain folks (like me, I admit) will spend more and accept less in order to buy green. But the vast majority of humans don't want to spend more, and don't want to sacrifice features or function.

That's just reality.

So, I like Reveal. I like their prices. I like that their items have style, and I like that most of it is vegan too!

Not sure I like (or even understand) why this laptop bag is designated as a Man's accessory. Don't see anything particularly manly or anti-feminine about it.

But other than that little weirdness, I like what they have. I just wish they had more. It's a pretty small selection right now.

They have extensive information about what makes their products sustainable, so I encourage you to check it all out.

November 29, 2009

A couple of years ago I fell in love with the design aesthetic of Matt & Nat vegan handbags. I also loved their startlingly reasonable prices. I paid something like $40-50 per bag. I had a bad customer service experience using their online store, but I still might have shopped for their wares via other online distributors.

But, inexplicably to me anyway, their prices have soared, so after that first multi-bag purchase, I never went back to the well. Bags on sale are running $160 and up, while basic pricing seems to hit the $200 mark. I'm not that kind of gal.

So, always on the hunt for other resources, let me point you to Sparrow Handbags. The pricing seems to stay sub-$100, and while the focus on twill as a primary material means that these bags don't have quite the luxe appearance of a Matt & Nat bag, I'm guessing it means they're a whole lot more eco-friendly than some of the pleather bags I own.

I think i'm going to get this little number on the left. Currently on sale for half off at $49. It's a bargain. One can always use another black bag, and I'll test out the customer service on these guys for you!

The boots are $98, which isn't an outrageous price for a god pair of sturdy boots at all.

Somehow I have difficulty pulling the trigger to buy a pair for myself. I'm actually not sure I've spent $98 on a pair of shoes or boots...ever...but it's a good cause, so I'd do it in a heartbeat. If I could imagine myself wearing them, but I haven't made the leap yet. I feel like I would look like the mummy, all wrapped up in canvas. And what keeps the canvas from slipping down your leg, even with the velcro closure.

I wish their site showed pictures of people wearing these! The disembodied mummy legs kind of freak me out.

So, do any of you own these boots? Are they cute, and do you love them? Would you be willing to post a picture of yourself actually wearing them?

September 21, 2009

The Green Shows (which need a better web site!) are a series of individual shows that are going to happen twice a year during NYC Fashion Week, and featuring green designers. Green can mean different things, so there are vegan designers and designers using "ethically produced" wool.

Either way, sounds like a very cool concept, and I particularly like this quote from the organizer the The Green Shows promote "fashion that happens to be green". That aligns exactly with my oft-repeated contention that outliers like me will pay more and settle for less function (which in the case of fashion is beauty and style) in order to satisfy our ethics, but most people don't want to pay more and get less.

Anyway, something to keep an eye on (and some designers to keep an eye on if I ever get the kind of moolah to buy designer!)

June 07, 2009

In my long, checkered past there is quite a bit of of the starving artist theatre person. I never got to attend the Tony Awards in person, but I try to watch them religiously every year. I used to have the time, inclination, and close family relative in NYC that justified a substantial trip to NYC every year, so most years, long after I moved back to California from NYC, I had seen many of the nominated shows. I, on occasion, even personally knew some of the nominees. I knew them back when, of course, when we were all younger and more struggly.

Over the course of time my trips to NYC have become quick 2-3 day jaunts leaving little time for theatre-going. Even a 6-day trip last week was so packed with business and work functions that I couldn't carve out the time.

Sadly I haven't seen a single nominated show or performer this year. But I'm watching anyway.

Which is why I was glad to get a note from the National Resources Defense Council about them. Seems the NRDC has been trying to help Broadway theatres in general get in on the sustainability act, and this year the Tony Awards got some attention. Being someone who puts on events, I know exactly how challenging it can be, so what does that mean exactly?

Well, here's what the NRDC told me:

First of all, there's a Broadway Green Alliance. The BGA is an "industry-wide initiative to educate, motivate and inspire the theater community and its patrons to adopt environmentally friendlier practices and reduce our carbon footprint."

So, continuing that work and applying it directly to the 2009 Tony Awards seems like a no-brainer, and it gives them a chance to bring their activities to a larger audience.

According to the BGA and NRDC, the Tony Awards's first-ever greening effort incorporates the use of renewable certificated to offset the electricity of radio City Music Hall, enhanced recycling efforts and wider use of environmentally-friendly materials. Results include (and not how they got corporate sponsorship to help them achieve their goals...it's the modern way to get anything done...appeal to a company Corporate Social Responsibility mission!):

GDF SUEZ Energy Resources donated Green-e certified wind power Renewable Energy Certificates to support the generation of renewable energy during the week preceding the Tony Awards and for the telecast itself

Lipton Tea made it possible for the 2009 Tony Awards edition of Playbill to be printed on paper with 30% post-consumer recycled content

Goodmart donated 2,200 energy-efficient cold cathode light bulbs for the event gift bags. As part of the BGA’s greening effort, this bulb type is now typical of those being used to light Broadway theatre roof signs and marquees

Hybrid vehicles are being provided for presenter and performer transportation

Recycling bins are being provided at Radio City concession stands for plastic bottles and in production offices for plastics and paper waste.

Radio City Music Hall has taken a number of steps towards reducing environmental impacts at their venue, including: a comprehensive energy analysis of the facility performed by Energy Analytics, resulting in an enhanced energy efficiency plan; recent installation of efficient lighting; and restrooms have been retrofitted with low-flow toilets and faucets and feature post-consumer recycled content tissue products

The Red Carpet is made from 100% recycled material with 49% post consumer content

The production/management company for the Tony Awards is using paper with 60% post-consumer recycled content

The public relations office has posted all press materials online and, when needed, will print out all press materials on 100% recycled content paper

Banners for the show were printed on non-PVC plastics and will be reused or recycled after event.

I love that they're reporting the post-consumer recycled content % of the red carpet itself!

Broadway is an institution, and one that dates back a century. The buildings in which Broadway plays are mostly old buildings, the traditions are long-time traditions. If Broadway, as an "industry", can step up and go green...what excuse do any of us have?

Tonight I'll be settling down to watch actors I've never seen collect awards for shows I didn't get to attend...and checking out how the new-fangled red carpet looks :)

May 21, 2009

I've had a bit of a bumpy relationship with the Humane Society of Silicon Valley. I was a donor, then they started what I considered to be a really bad idea: horse and carriage rides at a local shopping center as a fundraiser. Having lived in NYC and seen how miserable carriage horses lives are, I thought it was both ironic and hypocritical for an animal welfare organization to rely on the labor of animals to raise funding.

To their absolute credit, the HSSV exhibited a true desire to engage in real dialog about the issue, and to really understand why I felt as I did (and withheld my contributions).

And after doing it for two years, they stopped...and told me that the arguments I raised influenced their decision. You can read more about the whole back and forth at any of these links.

And so I'm back donating again.

Meanwhile, they've opened a brand-new state-of-the-art animal care center and one of the construction goals of this new facility was to be the first animal welfare agency in the U.S. to receive LEED certification.

Some of the cool features include:

A photovoltaic solar system to be installed on the building roof and carport, that will generate about 40-50% of the facility's needs

Roofing material that reflects sunlight, and is designed to lower AC bills

Just the way they placed and designed the building was deigned to leverage natural lighting!

Some day I'm going to get myself out there to check it out. I have to wait until I think I can either a) resist the lure of a new kitten or b) have the time to actually get a new kitten and take proper care of her.

In the meantime, I'm watching what they're up to and nodding my approval from afar!